Portable golfball teeing device

Abstract

The portable golfball teeing device consists of a portable case, the upper portion of which opens into a hopper to receive a bucket of golf balls. The apparatus within the case for separating and singularizing the golf balls consists of a platform at the bottom of the hopper having inclined surfaces leading to a funnel shaped opening in the platform, a rotatable cup located at the bottom of the funnel to receive the golf balls singly, and three blades which are suspended for movement through slits in the platofrm, the blades include an outer parallel pair which move in an arcuate path and a central blade which reciprocates in a vertical path. The blades are interconnected with the cup and move in response to movement of the cup. The cup is rotated by a linear gear, meshing with gear teeth on the cup, which is actuated by a foot pedal that is connected to the gear by a wire. In operation, pressure on the foot pedal rotates the cup to release a ball from the cup down a guide connected to the cup to a tee. As the cup moves the blades also move guiding balls into single file over the platform surface into the funnel and then, the cup.

What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by LETTERS PATENT of the United States is as follows: 
     
       1. A device for separating spherical objects comprising: (a) an upstanding hopper means for holding a plurality of spherical objects;   (b) platform means having large and small openings, said openings being joined by an inclined wall to form a funnel shape, said large opening being attached to the lower end of said hopper and said small opening extending downward therefrom, said wall having a plurality of elongated slots therein to move only in single file through said small opening;   (c) blade means, including a pair of parallel blades that travel in an arcuate path through a corresponding pair of elongated slots in said wall and a third blade that reciprocates vertically through a third slot in said wall said blade means cooperating to rotate said spherical objects downward in single file toward said small opening; and   (d) rotatable cup means below said opening to singly receive said object through said opening and to deliver said object in response to actuation; and   (e) pedal means interconnected to said cup means whereby pressing of said pedal means simultaneously actuates or rotates said cup means to deliver a spherical object while simultaneously causing said blade means to rotate spherical objects toward the opening.   
     
     
       2. A golf ball teeing device comprising: (a) case means, including a hollow upstanding base and door means said door means being a pair of opposed members hingedly attached to the top of said case flexible skirt means connected between said pair of member to form a hopper to receive golf balls when said member are in an opened position;   (b) platform means at upper end of said base, said platform means being a funnel shaped member, the large end of said funnel shaped member being attached to the lower end of said hopper and the small end of said funnel shaped member extending downward a predetermined distance into said base to allow balls to move in single file into said; base, said funnel shaped member having a plurality of slots therein for receiving a blade means,   (c) blade means manually attached in said base for vertical movement through said funnel member, means for actuating said blade means said blade means cooperating with said funnel member when actuated to rotate golf balls singly through the small end of said funnel member   (d) cup means to receive golf balls singly from said pivotally attached to said base funnel member and to deliver golf balls singly to a tee; and   (e) pedal means to actuate the blade means and the pivotally attached cup means to deliver golf balls single to the tee.   
     
     
       3. The device of claim 2 wherein said blade means comprises two spaced blades which move in an arcuate path and a central blade which reciprocates in a vertical path. 
     
     
       4. The device of claim 3 wherein said cup means includes a ball guide which guides each golf ball to the tee as the cup means is rotated through one quarter turn. 
     
     
       5. The device of claim 4 wherein the inclined inner surface of said funnel member maintains each golf ball in said hopper in a separate horizontal plane so that the balls, which have dimpled surfaces, cannot wedge or jam together. 
     
     
       6. The device of claim 5 wherein said pedal means includes a pedal that is connected by a wire to a spring biased linear gear which meshes with gear teeth on lower surface of the guide and thus to said cup means whereby cup means is rotated to deliver a ball to the tee.